Portable ash tray



July 13, 1954 P. D. RICE PORTABLE ASH TRAY Filed May 19, 1955 v FIG 2.

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.6mm/gm v/{OMM Patented July 13, 1954 l UNITED `-STATES PATENT OFFICE 2Claims.

This invention relates to ash trays, and more particularly to animproved portable ash tray of a type suitable to be carried around bythe user and which is readily available for use whenever required.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedportable receptacle for cigarette ashes and the like, said receptaclebeing simple in construction, being easy to manipulate, and beingcollapsible to a compact size so that it may be readily carried in theusers pocket.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved portablereceptacle for cigarette ashes and the like, said receptacle beinginexpensive to manufacture, being sturdy in construction, being easy toexpand and contract, as required, being provided with easily operatedclosure means which may be moved to a securely closed position so thatthe contents of the receptacle Will not spill, being light in weight andbeing attractive in appearance.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of an improved portable receptacleconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the receptacle of Figure 1, shownin a collapsed position.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view or the receptacle of Figure 1 shownin an expanded position.

Figure i is another elevational view of the receptacle, shown in theposition of Figure 2, said View` being taken at right angles to thedirection of the view shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line6--6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the receptacle of Figures 1 to 6,shown in expanded position.

Referring to the drawings, II generally designates the receptacle, saidreceptacle comprising a generally cylindrical outer housing portion I2which is telescopically engaged with a lower inner housing portion I3,said inner housing portion I3 having the bottom Wall Ill, and thehousing portions I2 and I 3 being generally cylindrical in shape. Asshown in Figure 5, the lower housing portion I3 is provided with twopairs oi diametrically opposed vertical grooves I5 spaced at angles of90 around its circumference, as illustrated, each of the verticalgrooves I5 terminating at its top end in a horizontal groove portion I6.Received in the grooves I5 are inwardly projecting lug elements Ilcarried by the inside bot'- torn marginal surfaces of the outer housingsection I2, the lugs Il being slidable in the grooves I5, and beingarranged so that the outer housing I2 may assume an extended positionrelative to the inner housing It by rotating said housing through asmall angle relative to the inner housing I4, whereby the lug elementsI1 will be received in the horizontal groove portions I6, thus placingthe receptacle in its expanded position shown in Figures 3, 5, and 7.The receptacle may be collapsed to the position shown in Figures 2 and 4by reversing the rotation of the outer housing member I2 relative to theinner housing member I4 to 'align the lug elements Il with the verticalgrooves I5, and then merely compressing the two housing portions tocause the inner housing portion I 3 'to be telescoped inside the outerhousing portion I2.

Hingedly connected to the rim of the upper housing portion i2 at I3 is agenerally circular cover member I9, the hinged connection i8 beingprovided with the biasing springs 20 acting between the inner wallsurface of housing section I2 and the cover I 9 to bias the coverupwardly to the dotted view position thereof shown in Figure 4. Thecover I9 is provided with a peripheral depending ange 2 l, and mountedslidably in diametrically opposing relationship in the flange 2| are thelocking members 22, each locking member comprising a shank portionl 23which is slidably received in an aperture in the flange ZI the shankportion 23 having integrally connected thereto at its inner end a hook2t and being in tegrally formed at its outer end with the button element25. Engaged between the button element 25 and the external surface ofthe flange 2i beneath the shank portion 26 of each locking member is acoiled spring 26 which biases the locking member outwardly and thusexerts a biasing force on the hook 2i of each locking member. The innersurface of the housing section I2 is formed with detent recesses inwhich the pointed end-.s of the hook elements 24 are lockinglyengageable, as illustrated in Figure 5, whereby the cover I9 may belocked in closed position. To release the cover, it is merely necessaryto press the opposed button elements Z5, inwardly, whereby the hookelements 2li of the associated locking members 22 disengage from theirseats in the wall of the hou-sing section I2, allowing the cover I9 toopen to the dotted view position thereof shown in Figure 4 by thebiasing action exerted on said cover member by coiled springs 20.

As shown in Figure 5, the pointed ends of the hook elements 24 arepreferably beveled in the manner illustrated, whereby the hook elementswill slip into locking engagement in the recesses provided therefor inthe inner wall surface of housing member I2 when the cover is manuallymoved to its closed position.

As shown in Figure 5, the locking elements 22 are preferably located ona diameter parallel to the hinge I8 and spaced angularly 90 from thelocation of said hinge on the rim of the outer housing section I2.

The top cover I9 is formed with pairs of aligned, radially extendinggrooves 21, 28 and 29, 30 and with a central, substantially circularopening 3U communicating with the said grooves. As shown Fig. 1, thegrooves 21, 28 are preferably narrower than the grooves 29, 39, and thecentral opening 39 is slightly larger in diameter than the width of thelarger grooves 29, 30. Slidably carried in the cover and the grooves 2,28 for radial sliding movement toward and away from the central opening33l are the channeled, upwardly concave rest members 3l, 32, andslidably carried in the grooves 29, 30 are the upwardly concavechanneled rest members 33, 34, the rest member 35i being integrallyformed at its inner end with a circular, upwardly concave cover element35 which is adapted to overlie the central aperture 3Q of the top coverwhen the rest member 33 is in the normal position thereof shown inFigure '7. The rest members 3|, 32, 33 and 34 may be made of thin sheetmetal or the like, and the edges of said rest members may be slidablyreceived in guide grooves 36 formed in the side walls of the grooves 2to 30. Each rest member is formed adjacent its outer end with atransversely extending slot 31 in which a fingernail may be engaged sothat the user may slide the associated rest member outwardly, if sodesired, as where it is desired to employ the rest member for supportinga cigarette or the like thereon.

The narrower rest members 3| and 32 may be employed for supportingcigarettes, whereas the wider rest members 33 and 34 may be used forsupporting cigars.

Normally, the receptacle is carried in the users pocket and is in itscollapsed position, shown in Figure 2. When it is desired to use thedevice an ash tray, the user extracts the receptacle from his pocket andexpands the receptacle to the position shown in Figures 3, 5 and 'l andthe receptacle may be placed in its expanded position, above described,by engaging the lug elements il in the horizontal groove portions I6.The cigarette ashes and the like may be emptied into the receptacle bysliding the rest member 33 out wardly, providing access to the interiorof the receptacle through opening 30. The receptacle may be closed byreturning the rest member 33 to the position shown in Figure '7, afterwhich the receptacle may be collapsed to the position shown in Figures 2and 4 and may be returned to the users pocket.

When it is desired to empty the receptacle, the top cover I9 is openedby pressing the button elements 25 inwardly, releasing the cover andallowing the springs 20 to open the cover to the dotted view positionshown in Figure 4. After emptying, the cover may be closed and thereceptacle may be placed in the users pocket until needed for furtheruse.

While a speciiic embodiment of an improved portable receptacle forcigarette ashes and the like has been disclosed in the foregoingdescription, it will be understood that various modifications within thespirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art.Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the mventionexcept as deiined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable receptacle for cigarette ashes and the like comprising ahousing having a removable top cover, means releasably securing saidcover on said housing, said top cover being formed with a centralopening, a plurality of channeled upwardly concave rest members slidablymounted in said top cover and extending from the edge there ci to saidopening, and a cover plate carried by one of said rest members and beingarranged to normally overlie said central opening, said opening beingexposed when said one of the rest members is moved away from the centralportion of the cover.

2. A portable receptacle for cigarette ashes and the like comprising ahousing, sai-d housing ccmprising a plurality of slidably connectedtelescop ing sections, whereby said housingr is 'able in size, a tcpcover hingedly connected to the "im of the uppermost housing section,ably securing said top cover in closed pcssaid uppermost section, saidtop cover being formed with a central opening, a pluraiity of channeled,upwardly concave rest members slid ably mounted in said top cover andextending' from the edge thereof to said opening, and a cover platecarried by one of said rest members and being arranged to normallyoverlie said central opening, said opening being exposed when d one ofthe rest members is moved away from the central portion of the cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 702,106 Lewis June 10, 918,928 Thomas Apr. 2G, 19@

1,744,123 Kolar Jan. 21, 1930 2,011,619 Dufour Aug. 20, 1935

